256 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIX. 



as to call forth the latter's wrathful comments quoted by Mr. 

 van Houten in his first paper.* 



But what are we to think of Forster's assertion, that " when 

 Mr. Loten subsequently sent these paintings by ship to 

 Holland, the ship was wrecked and all the paintings were lost " ? 

 I cannot explain it ; but that Loten's collection of natural 

 history paintings was not lost, at sea or on land, is demon- 

 strated by the facts mentioned by Mr. van Houten, that, by a 

 codicil to his will, dated 13th October 1778, he bequeathed 

 the whole collection to the Dutch Society of Sciences at Haar- 

 lem, and that after his decease in 1789 this body took posses- 

 sion of them. I have read the clause in the codicil in question, 

 and there can be no doubt in the matter. The paintings are 

 there stated to be in " a flat copper box," which the testator 

 requests to be placed inside a wooden case for the better pre- 

 servation of the valuable contents. The action of the Haar- 

 lem Society of Sciences in parting with such a valuable gift is 

 strange, but is not without parallel in the history of other 

 public institutions. Its loss, however, has been Mr. van 

 Houten' s gain, and he is to be congratulated on his acquisi- 

 tion, which he evidently appreciates ; while a debt of gratitude 

 is due to him for collecting and publishing the interesting 

 facts connected with these paintings set forth in his two 



As a considerable portion of the paper relates to the personal 

 history of two men who were closely associated with Ceylon, 

 I have been at some pains to supplement from materials at 

 hand here the information that has been afforded by it. I 

 have thus, I believe, cleared away one or two doubtful points 

 which Mr. Ferguson confesses to be unable to further elucidate, 

 and to have corrected some trifling and pardonable errors. 



* This is proved by the fact that the remarks quoted by Mr. van 

 Houten occur on the drawings of the Tailor Bird and the (Little Horn ?) 

 Owl, which form plates viii, and iii. in Pennant's Indian Zoology. 



papers. 



Memorandum by Mr. R. G. Anthonisz, Ceylon 

 Government Archivist. ^^-4- 



